Light projecting machine



Sept. 6, 1932. A. J. OBERG ET AL 1,875,511

LIGHT PROJECTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 23. 1950 IN V EN T015. 44/2727; Jdzr and 7 BY fader 'if 062%,

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I ANTON J. OIBERG AND ROBERT IR. STOEFEN, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA LIGHT PBOJECTING MACHINE Application filed December 23, 1930. Serial No. 504,268.

This invention relates to light projecting machines or spotlight projectors and more particularly to a color projecting apparatus.

The general object of this invention is to provide a compact and comparatively simple color projecting apparatus which may be employed for illuminating window displays, fashion exhibits, pictures and the like and for producing a great Variety of scenic effects on the stage.

A more particular object is to provide a color projecting apparatus of the character described having means which readily may be adjusted to deflect the colored light from its normal straightforwarddirection at right angles or at slightly oblique angles thereto in any desired direction.

Other objects will appear hereinafter as the details of the invention are described.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of our color projecting apparatus, the casing of which is shown broken away near the top to disclose the inner parts thereof.

Fig. 2 is a mid-sectional view, taken vertically and longitudinally, of the casing'of the color projecting apparatus shown in Fig. '1,

showing some of the inner parts thereof in side elevation, others partially in section and partially in elevation and others, including the projecting lens and the reflecting prism,

entirely in section. v

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2, showing the front end of the upper part of the casing.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the diffusing plate holder as seen from section line 44 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail view of one side of the casing taken on line 55 of Fig. 2'.

Referring in detail to the drawing, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8 the apparatus comprises an approximately rectangular casing, preferably made of sheet metal in two parts, a'lower part 6 and an upper part 7 hinged together on their front ends, as at 8, and meeting in a transverse plane which extends diagonally upward from the frontthrough the rear end. The rear end of upper part 7 is provided with a hasp 9 which closes over a staple 10 on the rear end of lower part6, in the usual way, so that a pain or padlock may be used to fasten them.

y hinging the cover portion of the elongated casing near the lower side of one end thereof, as well shown in Fig. 2, it is possible to swing the entire cover portion away from the casing in an endwise manner thus allowing the workman to stand close to either side of the casing to make any adjustment or repairs which may be necessary. Air inlet openings 11 are provided in the side walls of lower part 6, adjacent the bottom thereof, and upper part 7 is equipped with a double roof having an outer plate 12 and an inner plate 13 fixed in spaced relation to each other so as to provide an air space 14 between them. Air outlet openings '15 arecut through inner plate 13 and outlet openings 16, communicating with air space 14 are provided at each end of the casing.

A relatively large circular opening 17 is cut in the front end wall of the casing and a comparatively short tube 18, of a diameter corresponding approximately to that of opening 17 is attached to said end wall with its axis coinciding with the centerof said opening 17 Mounted in said tube '18 is a lens 19which hereafter will-be referred to as the projecting lens. v

Bolted to the bottom of the casing is a floor plate 20 to the front end of'which is fixed an upright supporting plate 21 having a circular aperture 22 therein whose center I is in approximate alignment, longitudinally of the casing, with opening 17. A shorter supporting plate 23 is similarly fixed to the rear end of floor plate 20.

Extending between said supporting plates 21'and 23, with their ends fixed therein, are two parallel guide-rods 245, spaced apart slightly less than the width of said supporting plates 21 and23, and somewhat, below the middle of the casing. Two pairs of loosely fitting sleeves 25 and 26 are mounted on these guide rods, the forward pair 25 of which Carry a'lens-frame '27 fixed thereon to which a ring 28 having a converging lens 29 mounttherein is attached. Lens frame 27 has a downwardly projecting lug 27 a through which an adjusting screw 30 works, said adjusting screw being turnable in supporting plates 21 and 23, so as to shift lens frame 27 forwardly or rearwardly, by means of a milled head 31 on the rear end thereof.

The rearward pair of sleeves 26 have a reflector frame 32, carrying a reflector 33, fixed on their rear ends and a lamp frame 34, carrying a lamp 35, fixed on their front ends. Lamp 35 is mounted on an adjustable plate 36 which has an elongated slot 37, in one end thereof, through which a fastening screw 38 extends into frame 34, thus making it possible to adjust lamp 35 in relation to reflector 33. Working in reflector frame 32 and j ournaledin rear supporting plate 23 is an adjusting screw 39 which is adapted to shift both said reflector frame and lamp frame 34 forwardly and rearwardly. A milled head 40 is fixed on the rear end of adjusting screw 39 whereby the latter may be turned.

Fixed to the lower part of reflector frame 32 and to theupper part of lamp frame 34 are a pair of obliquely disposed parallel side bars 41, the front ends 41a of which extend beyond lamp frame 34, and a diffusion plate holder 42 ispivotally mounted between said extensions41a, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Said plate holder 42 is formed of a frame-piece 43 of heavy sheet metal having a circular aperture 44 in the center thereof and having its sides bent to form flanges 43a in rightangled relation thereto. Pivot pins 45 fixed in extensions 41a of side bars 41 extend through these flanges, washers 46 being placed thereon, between said extensions 41a and said flanges 43a to reduce the friction.

Sleeves 26 together with reflector frame 32, lamp frame 34 and side bars 41, may be regarded as a single movable frame or carriage which is controlled by adjusting screw 39.

Guide pins 47 are fixed in frame-piece 43 so as to project from the rear side thereof on diametrically opposite sides of aperture 44. Hinged to the lower part of the same side of frame-piece 43 is a U-shaped retaining wire 48 whose legs 48a extend upwardly adjacent and just within guide pins 47. A short pin 49, also projecting from the rear side of frame-piece 43 just below the center of aperture 44, serves to support a diffusing plate 50, when inserted between said framepiece 43 and said retaining wire 48. The lower edge of said diffusing plate 50 is provided with a notch adapted to engage pin 49 as shown in Fig. 4. A. spring guard 51, adapted to limit the movement of retaining wire 48 and to hold itin its closed position, is fixed adjacent one leg 48a thereof, said leg having its upper end bent at right angles to form a handle 48b whereby it may be manipulated. Diffusion plates having various designs or patterns, therefore, readily may be inserted in the plate holder or removed therefrom and exchanged.

Plate holder 42 is pivotally mounted so that it may be set in different angular positions as well as upright, as shown, and it is held in such positions by an adjusting rod 52 one end of which is hooked into one of the flanges 43a of frame-piece 43, as at 53, and the other end of which passes through one side of lamp frame 34 which is provided with a set screw 54 adapted to clamp it in any adjusted position, as shown in Fig. 1. The object of pivotally supporting the plate holder 42, as stated, so as to be adjustable about a horizontal pivotal mounting located at substantially the same height as the center of the reflector 33, is to make it possible to cause the light rays to pass more or less obliquely through the diffusing plate 50 on their way to the converging lens 29, thus changing the configuration of the colored areas on the screen as desired.

A composite color disc 55 made of small variously colored sectors of glass 56, or other translucent material, having their larger ends inserted into a channeled rim 57 and their smaller ends clamped between two discs 58, is mounted adjacent the front side of supporting plate 21 on a stub shaft 59 journaled therein so that it may be driven by a motor which is enclosed in a housing 60 attached to the rear side of supporting plate 21. The size of said color disc is such that the space between rim 57 and discs 58 corresponds approximately to the diameter of aperture 22 in front of which it passes when disc 55 is turned.-

A deflecting attachment 61 in the form of a reflecting prism 62, held by a screw 63, is mounted in a frame 64 which is attached to projecting tube 18, of the apparatus, so as to be adjustable thereon in three ways, as presently will appear. A ring 65 is fixed in a groove 66, cut adjacent the outer end of proj ecting tube 18, so that it may be turned about the axis of said projecting tube, the ring be: ing turnable in the groove with an amount of friction sufficient to retain it in any adjusted position. Fixed to diametrically opposite sides of ring 65 are a pair of split lugs 67 equipped with clamping screws 68 and, working through these lugs, are a pair of slidingrods 69 Whose forward ends are provided with pivot pins 70 on which frame 64 is adapted to turn, bosses 64a being formed on opposite sides of the frame to receive said pivot pins and set-screws 71 being provided in said bosses to hold the frame in its 'ad justed positions on said pivots. A circular flange 64b is formed on frame 64 to obstruct the more divergent rays thrown out by the projecting lens and apertures 72 are made therein, to accommodate sliding rods 69, as shown in Fig. 3.

It will be seen that the construction here shown provides for the adjustment of reflecting prism 62 about the axis of projecting tube 18, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 8, also about pivot pins 70, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, and also toward and away from projecting lens 19, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1.

A socket 73, into which the plug of the usual electric cord may be inserted is fixed in the rear end of the casing and suitable con-- ductor cords 74 and 7 connect said socket 73 to the lamp socket and the latter to the motor (not shown).

The operation of our color projecting apparatus is believed to be eViC ent from the foregoing description. Obviously the direct rays of light from lamp and also those from reflector 83 pass first through diffusing plate 50, then through converging lens 29 and then through co-lor disc 57 to lens 19 which projects it in the usual way, when deflecting attachment 61 is not used. The segments 56 in color disc are red, orange, green, blue and violet, grouped or alternated so as to give the desired effect. A steady colored light is obtained when the color disc is stationary and a succession of color waves is obtained when the color disc is rotated. Deflecting attachment 61 is used only when the light is to be projected at a right or somewhat obtuse angle to the normal straightfora ward direction.

It will be seen that ample provision for ventilation of the casing is made by inlet openings 11 and outlet openings 15 and 16 and also that the construction of the casing is such that the inner parts of the apparatus are readily accessible for adjustments and repairs.

We claim:

1. In a device of the kind described, a casing, a reflector, a lamp, a frame construction within said casing to support said reflector and lamp, said lamp being thereby supported adjacent to one side of said reflector in a po' sition to direct light thereagainst, a diffusing plate, means mounted upon said frame construction to support said diflusing plate for pivotal adjustment at different angles with relation to the rays of'light received from said reflector, a converging lens positioned to receive rays of light passing from said reflector through said diffusing plate, and means to adjust the position of said frame construction together with said diffusing plate toward and from said converging lens.

2. In a device of the kind described, a casing, a reflector, a lamp, a frame construction within said casing to support said reflector and lamp, said lamp being thereby supported adjacent to one side of said reflector in a position to direct light thereagainst, a pair of inclined substantially parallel bars, said bars being located upon opposite sides of said lamp and having their lower end portions secured to said'frame construction, the upper end portions of said bars extending up to substantially the central portion of said lamp in spaced relation to the side thereof farthest from said reflector, a diflusing plate, means to pivotally support said diffusing plate be,- tween the upper end portions of said bars for adjustment at different angles with relation to the rays of light from said reflector, and a converging lens positioned to receive rays of light passing from said reflector through said diffusing plate.

' 3. In a device of the kind described, a casing, a base plate within said casing secured to the floor thereof, a pair of spaced uprights projecting upwardly from and carried by said plate, supporting means mounted upon and located between said uprights, said supporting means comprising an upstanding reflector frame,,a reflector mounted upon said frame, a lamp frame mounted upon .said supporting means in spaced relation to said reflector frame, a pair of parallel inclined side bars having their lower ends secured to the lower portion of said upstanding reflector frame at each side of said lamp and their intermediate portions supported by said lamp frame, said parallel bars being thus supported with their upper ends at approximately the same height as the central portion of said reflector, and a light diffusing plate pivotally supported between said bars by their upper ends, there being a pivotal mounting of said diffusing plate upon said bars to render said plate adjustable about a substantially horizontal axis. V

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our 

